Nicos Hadjikiriakos-Ghika

The reality that Ghika painted was not one of fantasy or intuition, but of individuality of expression and visualisation. Calligraphic, Byzantine, and Cubist influences unite in a colourful and kaleidoscopic expression of admiration for the Greek landscape the artist would thematically revisit throughout his life.

The present works' double sided format reflects the artist's interest in facets and planes and the manipulation of composition and space. A Peaceful Countryside and A Deserted Place were listed as separate works in the New Art Centre exhibition of 1972, which emphasises their existence as powerful, independent entities. Each composition complements the other stylistically while thematically being two facets of a subject, and Ghika thus demonstrates his ability to express both disintegration and harmony within the lyricism of his broken planes.